Louver construction



Margin-16, 1943. A. H. BAHNSQN, JR

LOUVER CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. I 21. 1942 Patented Mai-.16, 1943 LGUVER CONSTRUCTION Agnew H. Bahnson, 51x, Winston-Salem, N. C., assignor to The Bahnson Company, Winston- Salem, N. (3., a corporation of North Carolina Application February 21, 1942, Serial No. 431,884

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in louvers and particularly in automatic louvers adapted to be placed in an opening in the wall of an enclosure to permit flow of air from the enclosure through the louver when the Pressure of the'air inside the enclosure exceeds that on the other side of the louver.

An object of the invention is to provide a louver of simple rugged construction which will remain tightly closed to prevent outside air from blowing into the enclosure when the louver is closed, but which will open readily when the air pressure within the enclosure rises above that outside.

Another object of the invention is to provide a louver construction in which the shutter vanes are pivotally mounted in an upstanding position so as to offer a minimum resistance to opening under pressure of air within the enclosure and to provide a simple and effective stop to limit the opening movement of the shutter vanes so that they will close automatically by. gravity when the pressure within the enclosure is relieved.

Another object of the inventionis to provide a louver construction comprising a frame having a plurality of upstanding shutter vanes pivotally mounted at one edge thereof with the axis of the pivots slanting slightly inwardly from bottom to top so that the shutter vanes will close by gravity but will open without appreciable resistance under pressure of air within the enclosure, and to provide a projecting rainshield at the upper side of the frame overlying the upper ends of the shutter vanes as a protection against the elements, the rainshield being provided adjacent the outer edge thereof with a depending flange forming a stop disposed in the path of the free edge of the shutter vanes to prevent opening of the latter to:the dead center position. i v

A still further object of the invention is to provide a louver having shutter vanes of improved construction with the free edge thereof formed to provide a slanting surface facing theoutside s shaped that gusts of wind blowingalong the building and against the same will tend to close the vanes tighter rather than work under the following detailed description of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 2tis a horizontal sectional view on the line 2--2 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of the hinge and overlapping free edge of the shutter vanes.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the louver comprises a rectangular metal frame 5 of channel section having a vertical rear flange 6 adapted to engage the outer face of a sash or other frame I of an opening over which the louver is mounted. The louver is retained in position by bolts 8 passing through the flange 6 and a clamping frame 9 which engages the inner face of the framing l of the wall opening. The frame 9 preferably carries a screen IQ of suitable mesh. The mounting of the louver by means of the clamping frame 9 and bolts 8 avoids the forming of bolt or screw holes in the framing l and facilitates the installation of the louver in the opening and the removal of the same therefrom when necessary.

The upper and lower rails H and [2 of the frame 5 each have angle irons I3 and I4 respectively secured on the inner faces thereof which are drilled to mount the ends of the pivot shafts l5 of a plurality of upstanding shutter vanes l6. cent the rear edge of the rail II with the depending flange l1 thereof at the rear edge and the lower angle iron [4 is mounted adjacent the front edgeof the rail l2 with its upstanding flange l8 at the rear edge. The angle irons are thus offset so as. to dispose the pivots of the shutter vanes at a slight angle to the vertical with a rearward tilt suflicient to insure gravity closing of the vanes. The flanges 11 and I8 of the angle irons aid in keepingout the elements, particularly when the vanes are closed and as also as stops limiting the closing motion of the end vane.

The outer edge of the frame 5 is reinforced by the outwardly turned vertical flange H) which along the upper rail serves also as partial support for a slanting hood or rainshield 20, the inner edge of which extends along and is secured to the upper edge of the rear flange 6 which, as will be observed, is deeper than the flange l9.. The slanting hood 20 extends forwardly beyond the frame 5 and substantially into the path of movement of the upper edge of the shutter vanes and is provided with a depending vertical'lip or flange 2| which acts as a stop to limit opening move- The upper angle from I3 is mounted adja-' ment of the vanes so as to prevent them from swinging outwardly past dead center.

The pivot shafts I for the shutter vanes are mounted in an eye 22 formed by rolling the same at one vertical edge. At the opposite or free edge, the vanes are formed with a V-shaped rib 23 which serves as reinforcement for the same and also spans the rolled pivoted edge of the adjacent vane which it overlaps. The extreme edge of the vanes are turned inwardly at the terminus of the outer slant of the V-edge formation forming a flange 24 substantially parallel with the body of the vane so as to lie fiat on the outer surface of the adjacent vane when closed, thereby forming a seal against ingress of air along this edge. Also the v-shape and inturned edge presents a slanting surface to wind blowing along the building wall with the result that the force of the wind exerts a closing force on the vanes to keep them tightly closed and does not tend to work under the edges of the same and blow them open.

The louver may be made in sizes to fit the width of standard factory window openings and may readily be mounted in position without special tools or fittings merely by holding the same in place against the outside of the sash or other frame until the inner clamping frame I!) is placed on the inside and the connecting bolts 8 are tightened. The bolts 8 pass through the opening close to opposite frame or sash rails so that even if they become loosened they will contact the frame and thus prevent the louver from falling out of position.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described by way of illustration, it will be understood that modification of the details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a louver, a rectangular frame comprising horizontal upper and lower rails, a plurality of upstanding shutter vanes pivotally mounted between said upper and lower rails to swing outwardly about axes coincident with one edge thereof, a hood carried by said upper rail and projecting outwardly therefrom, and a depending flange carried by said hood adjacent the outer edge thereof, said flange being disposed in the path of the free edge of the shutter vanes and constituting a stop to limit the outward swingin movement thereof. 7 r

2. In a louver adapted for mounting over a framed opening, a frame comprising upper and lower horizontal rails having an outwardly turned vertical flange adapted to seat against the frame of the opening, a plurality of upstanding shutter vanes pivoted along one edge thereof between said-upper and lower rails to swing'outwardly, an outwardly extending slanting hood carried by said hood disposed in the path of the free edges of said shutter vanes.

3. In a louver, a rectangular metal frame comprising upper, lower and side rails of channel section disposed with the side flanges thereof turned outwardly, a plurality of upstanding shutter vanes pivotally mounted between said upper and lower rails to swing outwardly about axes coincident with one edge thereof, a hood carried by the side flanges of the upper rail and projecting forwardly therefrom, and a depending stop carried by said hood adapted to be engaged by the free edge of said shutter vanes to limit the outward swinging movement thereof.

4. In a louver, a rectangular frame comprising upstanding shutter vanes pivotally mounted be- 7 tween said upper and lower rails to swing outcarried by said upper rail and a depending flange wardly about axes coincident with one edge thereof, said vanes having a V-shaped rib formed along the free edge thereof spanning the pivoted edge of an adjacent vane when in closed position and terminating in an inturned flange substantially parallel with the main body of the vane and adapted to seat flat against the face of an adjacent vane when the vanes are in closed position.

5. A louver adapted for mounting over a framed opening, comprising upper and lower horizontal rails having an outward turned vertical flange adapted to seat against the outside .of the frame of the opening, a plurality of upstanding shutter vanes pivoted along one edge thereof between said upper and lower rails to swing outwardly, an outwardly extending slanting hood carried by said upper rail and a depending flange carried by said hood disposed in the path of the free edges of said shutter vanes, a clamping frame adapted to seat against the inside of the frame of the opening, and clampin bolts extending between said frames through the opening.

6. In a louver, a rectangular frame comprising horizontal upper and lower rails, a plurality of upstanding shutter vanes mounted between said rails, means for pivotally mounting said vanes to swing outwardly about axes coincident with one edge thereof comprising an angle iron mounted on the inner face of said lower rail adjacent the forward edge thereof and having an upstanding flange spaced from said front edge, an angle iron mounted on the inner face of said upper rail adjacent the rear edge thereof and having a depending flange substantially coincident with the rear edge thereof, pivot members carried by one edge of each of said vanes journalled in said angle irons forwardly of the flanges thereof respectively whereby the pivotal axes of said vanesare inclined from the vertical, a hood carried by the upper rail of said frame and projecting outwardly therefrom and a depending flange carried by said hood in spaced relation to said upper rail and constitutig a stop for engagement by the AGNEW H. BAHNSQN, JR; 

